Geneva accepts donation for sculptural bike rack

GENEVA – Geneva is on its way to installing a sculptural bike rack with the help of a donation from a local business, which the city accepted at Monday’s City Council meeting.

Tim Vetang, chair of the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission, presented the council with a sketch of the sculptural bike rack, which will cost about $6,000. Fox Valley Orthopedics in Geneva supported Geneva’s Sculptural Bicycle Rack Public Art Program with a $3,000 donation toward the rack.

Vetang said the commission received 13 sketches for the bike rack and settled on a colorful sketch submitted by Weston Lambert, who is a professor of glass practice at Tulane University.

A sketch of the rack showed three arches in solid blue, red and yellow. Vetang said it would be installed in front of the Geneva History Center and will hold about six bikes. The rest of the project will be funded through grants from the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission.

In other business, the city’s Committee of the Whole approved a change to Geneva Business Park’s planned use development to allow a craft distillery to open at 204 Dearborn Court.

Michael Orlando, who owns Fox River Distilling, asked the city to consider adding an amendment to the Geneva Business Park’s planned unit development to allow craft distilleries there.

The city’s plan commission unanimously recommended the change Sept. 26, and the recommendation then went to the Committee of the Whole. If approved by the City Council, Orlando would be able to offer tours of the distillery during normal work hours or scheduled tours for private parties and events, according to meeting documents.

The facility, which would be at 204 Dearborn Court, also would offer a tasting area where people can sample products, and sell branded merchandise and distilled spirits.